The present invention relates to (a) optically active 1-(fluoro-, trifluoromethyl-, or trifluoromethoxy-substituted phenyl)alkylamine N-monoalkyl derivatives, which are important intermediates for medicines and agricultural chemicals, (b) processes for producing those derivatives, and (c) intermediates, which are obtained in the processes.
Of the above-mentioned N-monoalkyl derivatives, only optically active 1-(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)ethylamine N-monomethyl is described in International Publication WO 01/25219, corresponding to U.S. Patent Application Publication 2003/0028021 A1, and International Publication WO 02/32867. In fact, WO 01/25219 or U.S. Patent Application Publication 2003/0028021 A1 discloses a process for producing optically active 1-(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)ethylamine N-monomethyl by an optical resolution of a racemic mixture of 1-(3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)ethylamine N-monomethyl using malic acid.